Italian Ecologies and Environments: Stories and Images in the Age of the Anthropocene

Catalog description

The course investigates how Italian writers, artists, and directors have depicted, discussed, and challenged the relationship between humankind and the environment in modern and contemporary Italy. Using an environmental humanities framework and drawing upon a few theoretical texts in contemporary ecocriticism as well as material and posthuman philosophies, this course examines a selection of texts and media, including novels, poetry, essays, films, and visual art to investigate how Italian culture has responded to key environmental issues—such as industrialization, urban expansion, climate change, ecological disasters, and environmental justice—which have shaped Italy’s histories and landscapes. The central questions that this course will ask are: in which forms and modalities do Italian authors define nature, human beings, and their relationships with the earth and nonhuman animals? What are the most pressing ecological challenges that Italy is facing? Are these works, and literature in general, able to help us to interpret the world, raise awareness, and more importantly, encourage us to adopt strategies that help us to be environmentally and ethically responsible for our planet? At the end of the course, students will develop a deeper understanding of literary ecology and will be more conversant in the most recent discussions about ecocriticism; analyze different genres and formats; gain awareness of their role within the broader global discussion and explore the latest literary works addressing the climate crisis; understand the key issues surrounding the Anthropocene and will be capable of analyzing artistic works from this specific perspective.